1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a welding helmet, and more particularly, a welding helmet having an automatic lighting system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous innovations for helmets having lighting devices have been provided in the prior art that will be described. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, however, they differ from the present invention.
A FIRST EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. Office Document No. 4,332,004, Issued on May 25, 1982, to Slaughter teaches a lighting system for a welders helmet which includes a high intensity, high Kelvin temperature electric light source attached to the face shield for directing a high energy, high Kelvin temperature light beam forwardly of the viewing port, and an energizing circuit including an on-off switch interconnecting the light source to a source of electrical energy which de-energizes the light source where the welder's eyes are not protected by the face shield.
A SECOND EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. Office Document No. 4,958,264, Issued on 09-18-1990, to Evendon teaches a lamp for use with a protective helmet having a visor mounted thereon by means of pivots. The lamp comprises a band adapted to extend around the back of the helmet and securing means, whereby the ends of the band can be releasably secured to the pivots of the visor.
A THIRD EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. Office Document No. 5,191,468, Issued on Mar. 2, 1993, to Mases teaches a welder's helmet provided with a fast filter which is controlled by welding light and through which the wearer of the helmet can see clearly in the absence of welding light. In accordance with the invention, the helmet is complemented with side windows operative to filter out IR and UV radiation and having a moderate filter effect for visible light.
A FOURTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. Office Document No. 6,340,234, Issued on Jan. 22, 2002, to Brown Jr. teaches a means to illuminate the lens of a face shield to be worn by a welder. The lens is illuminated to enable the welder to see through the lens prior to the welding arc being lighted. The face shield is equipped with a size adjustable head band. Multiple lights are disposed around the frame of the lens and an on/off switch is provided along with a time delay button. The lights are powered by a battery which is disposed in the frame. The present invention can be retrofitted onto existing helmets or manufactured as an integral part of new helmets/face shields.
A FIFTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. Office Document No. 7,161,116, Issued on Jan. 9, 2007, to Steinemann teaches a welding protective mask which includes illumination equipment for illuminating a work area. The illumination equipment includes an illumination device, a detection device for detecting an ambient light intensity, an energy storage for electrically supplying the illumination equipment and controller for controlling an intensity of light radiated by the illumination means according to the ambient light intensity. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the controller is set up to detect a welding process with a flicker circuit and to switch off the illumination device during the welding process.
A SIXTH EXAMPLE, U.S. Pat. Office Document No. 7,178,932, Issued on Feb. 20, 2007, to Buckman teaches an apparatus which discloses an improved welders helmet having a replaceable lens thereon incorporating an electrically driven fan which receives filtered air through a plurality of air ducts having a filter thereon. A receptacle for containing a battery is disposed on the helmet along with photovoltaic elements for recharging the batteries from the flash of the weld. Lights are also disposed on the helmet.
It is apparent now that numerous innovations for helmets having lighting devices have been provided in the prior art that adequate for various purposes. Furthermore, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, accordingly, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.